More children to get access to service that enables students to text health concerns to their school nurse

A mobile phone service allowing students to text health concerns to their school nurse is to be rolled out across two counties.

Pupils at Judgemeadow College, in Evington, Leicester, have been testing the service for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.

It gives students the chance to speak to a nurse by text message or through a downloadable app, rather than visiting them at a weekly clinic.

Feedback from students over the past nine months has been extremely positive and now the service will be rolled out to all 11 to 19-year-olds in the city and across Leicestershire and Rutland from March.

Lutterworth and Charnwood colleges have also tested the system.

In all, 200 youngsters have used the service.

Dawn Batson, Judgemeadow's nurse, said: "We've had more students contacting school nurses since they've been able to get in touch with us through the messaging service.

"We've also had more contact from teenage boys, who are usually less likely than girls to approach a healthcare professional and talk about their problems, including emotional well-being.

"The service is completely confidential and if I feel they need to see someone I encourage them to do so."

Users said anonymity meant it was easier to talk about potentially embarrassing issues via text first before seeing a nurse in person.

Judgemeadow pupil Jasmine Ferguson, 16, said she has used the text line.

She said: "I found it really useful, whether you have a very personal question or a general question about healthy eating or something else like that."